Managing the Details
by DracoPathos
Summary: Omi gets fatally wounded trying to save Aya on a mission, and the boys have no choice but to rest in a stranger's apartment. Alone with his unconscious partner, Aya contemplates forgiveness. *yaoi, songfic*


Draco: Argh. I hate this. It was a really good idea to begin with, but I don't think I did so good with it. Anyway.it's too fluffy for my taste, but I'll let you all decide.  
  
Note: The song "Managing the Details of an Undertaking" is by the band Counterfit. A few lines have been changed because different words were sung on the CD or I couldn't tell whether it was the written word or not so I just wrote what it sounded like.  
  
* * *  
  
I'm seeing it past this way Intend to watch as I break.until it happens again Steal in and hide away Set destination straight from the familiar  
  
"Shit." Youji choked as Ken walked in, carrying an unconscious and severely battered Omi to a bed.  
  
Aya followed close behind, along with the owner of the apartment they had rather unceremoniously barged into. It hadn't exactly been on purpose. The three older members of the team had been trying to track down their disoriented, young friend, who had collapsed in the poor girl's doorway. She still looked slightly pale from the shock, but she apparently had no concern for anything save the boy who had stumbled upon her open door.  
  
"Um.is he going to be okay? Is that blood? Oh my god! That's blood!"  
  
Aya growled at her continual banter. If it hadn't been for Ken insisting he have a little heart with her, she probably would've been cowering in the corner of her bathroom by now. As it was, she followed close on his heels, desperately requesting to be of some sort of assistance.  
  
Youji, slightly pale but trying to recover his nerves, made his way to the girl's side. "How about you and I go make some coffee?" He smiled and winked, as much a flirt as ever.  
  
She, however, just stared at him blankly. "Okay, but perhaps I should mention the fact that I'm a lesbian."  
  
"Right now," the blonde sighed, smile fading, "I think that may be for the best."  
  
The two headed out, and Ken looked over at Aya as he lay Omi down. "I.uh.I think I'm gonna join them. Maybe we can make some dinner instead of just coffee. Dinner sounds good, right?"  
  
Aya just stood there, face expressionless, staring at the boy on the bed. After a moment, Ken slipped away in silence. He knew better than to provoke the redhead any further. It was bad enough the man's partner was currently laying, almost dead, in a total stranger's apartment. Ken had no idea what had happened to the kid, but he could tell Aya was blaming it on himself. There was no point in making things worse.  
  
Cleared out It happens several times a year now Once bitter, now accepted as retreat/release One side of the real me  
  
Alone now, save for the barely breathing form of his young teammate, Aya locked the door and sighed. He collapsed into a chair at the desk next to the bed, leaning back to stare at the ceiling. Perfect. This was just perfect. If Omi died now, what would he do? His trusted companions would number a wopping zero. Not that he didn't trust Youji and Ken, but Omi had been.no, still was different.  
  
It had taken quite some time, more than anyone else probably would have sacrificed, to drag Aya out of his shell, but Omi had done it. Actually, he had done quite a bit more than bring Aya out. The now dying boy had actually loved his hot tempered partner. That love was what had gotten them into this mess.  
  
"No. It wasn't the love. It was my stupidity."  
  
Aya listened to his whisper as it bounced back from the postered walls, barely audible to human ears. Truth was he should have listened to Omi and not himself. The redhead had been reckless and irresponsible. That was part of him, after all, the recklessness. Omi never openly questioned him, though, never put confidence behind any suggestions in battle. Or maybe Aya just wanted to think there was never any confidence behind it. After all, many times there was no confidence behind his own words or actions, but the others could never tell.  
  
"Only Omi."  
  
He looked tiredly to the unconscious form of his teammate, his partner, his friend, his lover.  
  
"You should've stayed out of it," he breathed with regret. "Then again, maybe I should've stayed out of it."  
  
Turn my senses down and flip them backwards No goodbyes, no missing family If you were me and I was you, exactly how deep would I see through  
  
"If you make it through this," he whispered, placing his hand over the younger boy's, "will you be able to forgive me?" Then he laughed. Again he was being stupid! "Of course you will. You always forgive me. Even if you're the only one, you still do."  
  
He leaned forward, holding his head in his hands, elbows rested on his knees.  
  
"How can you do it? You say it's the right thing to do. Even if no one else ever forgives us, we have to forgive each other. If we don't, we're all as good as dead. Isn't that right? You really are amazing, you know that? If a mission came and my target was you, you would still forgive me wouldn't you?"  
  
Shaking his head, he let the corner of his mouth turn up in a bitter half smile.  
  
Always second guessing that you would once behave the way. I wanted to somewhat dedicate this one out to future last mistakes I can't predict for the death of me Your face/the state which will hold my heart  
  
"I never thought someone like you could surprise me so much," he laughed, massaging his temples to sooth the unwelcome burning that had started behind his eyes. "You're always smiling. Everything always seems okay. It's not though. You just never show it." A sigh escaped him. "I guess that's something we have in common, though. Never letting anyone know that something's wrong."  
  
He brushed his hand across his eyes and looked down at his partner. The boy hadn't moved, except his chest, rising and falling with ragged breaths. Then the burning could not be held back, and Aya reluctantly let the tears slip out.  
  
"I never meant for this to happen, but it seems like I never mean for anything to happen the way it does. Trust me, if my life could be forfeit for yours, it would be just as well. Maybe then I wouldn't do these things to you. You wouldn't have any reason to try to protect me anymore. It's rather pathetic that you would have to try in the first place."  
  
He stroked Omi's hair absently, hand shaking slightly as he swept hair from the boy's eyes. "Why are you here, anyway? The only thing standing between you and innocence is a life as Weiss, so why do you do it?"  
  
Oh my mind, all the bullshit you led me to I'll follow through once you're left behind That's all in good time  
  
Aya shook his head again, retrieving his hand, and looked away. "Why do you do it?"  
  
"For you."  
  
The redhead spun, violet eyes wide as they met two freshly uncovered orbs, blue and wet.  
  
"I do it for you," Omi sighed, his face masked with a pained smile. "I do it because I can't go back to being innocent. I've gone too far already. I'm not going to back out on you now."  
  
Tears, unbidden and unwanted, rolled down Aya's face, and his partner continued. "I do it because I'm the only person who can see you and I'm not going to leave you alone. You're right, we don't let others know that something's wrong, but we don't have to. We have each other, Aya, and that's all we need."  
  
The boy reached a trembling hand out to grasp Aya's, and let his tears mingle with those already fallen to the floor. "I can see behind your mask, and you can see behind mine. We're only honest with each other. We can't let that go, because other people may think they know us.  
  
But it's a farce, passed on down the line That's all in good time  
  
* * *  
  
Draco: If anyone knows this song and has any idea what I was going for, they can feel free to take my idea and make a REAL fanfic out of it. -_- I'm so ashamed. 


End file.
